HilBo, Nielsen Cement Legacies in 'Cats Lore
by Clare Lochary | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff | Game Blog
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Northwestern's Hannah Nielsen dodges on North Carolina's Amber Falcone in a matchup of Tewaaraton Trophy finalists Sunday in the NCAA championship game. © John Strohsacker/LaxPhotos.com |
TOWSON, Md. -- In the final installment of their storied careers, the Batman and Robin of women's lacrosse were superheroines. Seniors Hilary Bowen and Hannah Nielsen posted cartoonishly high numbers as they helped Northwestern a 21-7 win over North Carolina and to a fifth consecutive national championship.
For the third year in a row, Bowen scored five goals in the
title game, and pushed her career tournament goal total to 40, the
best in NCAA history. Nielsen's six assists were the most ever in a
championship game, and her sixteen assists in 2009 are the most in
tournament history, as are her 34 career tournament assists. Both
were named to the All-Tournament team.
"Me and Hil, ever since we sort of took over the position behind
the net since our sophomore year, we've just been developing such
an on-field connection," said Nielsen. "We kind of know what each
other are going to do before we even do it. I know where Hil's
going to be and she just makes it so easy for me."
During the championship game, Nielsen and Bowen connected twice.
The first time was on Nielsen's feed from behind to Bowen's
brilliant cut to the crease that caught goalie Logan Ripley (two
saves) out of position. It was the team's 15th goal of the day, but
Bowen and Nielsen celebrated as if it was their first, savoring the
joy of doing a wonderful job with a wonderful friend.
"She catches everything I throw her way, and it helps that we're
great friends off the field as well," said Nielsen.
Bowen's season was curtailed by a mid-season anterior cruciate
ligament tear that looked to be season-ending. But with the help of
Nielsen and her other teammates, she rallied to return in time for
the NCAA tournament.
"If I just didn't have my teammates and my coaches and my family
pushing me to get back out there and give it a go, I never would
have had this opportunity, and I'm just so thankful that I did,"
said Bowen.
Without her favorite target, the Australian assassin felt lost on
the field. But during her rehab, Bowen took junior attacker Katrina
Dowd under her wing and vicariously kept the Northwestern offense
clicking in her absence.
"Hilary, the sec she went down instead of thinking about her
injury, she mentored Katrina, she told her what to do.," said head
coach Kelly Amonte Hiller.
"She basically gave her the experiences that she had already had
and it proved to work out pretty well."
Dowd scored four goals and two assists in the final, and won Most
Outstanding Player, an honor Bowen had won the two previous years.
Dowd will return next year and carry on the legacy built by Bowen,
Nielsen and the rest of the class of 2009. The seniors will
complete their careers with an 85-3 overall record and a 16-0
record in the NCAA tournament. Their 23-0 campaign in 2009 is the
final piece of the puzzle; their class had won three previous
championships but never in a perfect season.
The next installment for Batman and Robin is one that comic book
purists would never entertain: the dynamic duo will turn on each
other. Nielsen will play for Australia and Bowen will play for the
U.S. in this summer's World Cup in Prague, beginning June 17.
